Last for footwear



- March 31, 1942, F. JfMacDoNALD LAST FOR FOOTWEAR Filed April 4, 1941 Ilit H23 t x n I 1 |||||.L H l||| l d 4 1 w w 1 j I III M .o -5- bk, 0 0-0 Z Z flan/f 177504702725 Patented Mar. 31, 1942 UNITED, STATES PATENTOFFICE LAST FOR FOOTWEAR Frank J. MacDonald, Brookline; Mass., assignorto The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork Application April 4 1941, Serial No. 386,754

4 Claims.

This invention relates to lasts for building footwear and is especiallyuseful where rubber soles are to be vulcanized to shoes. The principalobjects of the invention are to provide a solid support for the shoewhich may be moved from one machine to another, to provide a last havingrelatively movable parts for effecting convenient removal of the shoe,to provide for such removal without damage to the footwear despite aneasily damageable character of the same, and to provide for heating suchlast for vulcanizing purposes.

These. and other objects will appear from the following description andthe accompanying drawing.

Of the drawing:

Fig.1 is a side elevation of the last constructed according to andembodying the invention, with a shoe thereon, the last being shown asadjusted for removing a shoe, the'shoe being shown in full lines asloosened from the last but resting-thereon and in dot and dash lines inan advanced position of removal, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a, sideelevation of the last partly broken away and in sectionshowing a shoe in place thereon and in section, the last and the shoebeing in lasting position.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

In accordance with the invention the fore part of the last is made solidand integral with a rigid supporting base whereby the last may besupported in lasting and vulcanizing machines,

and the rear portion of the last is 'pivotally mounted thereonandarranged for arcuate movement with relation to the fore part and basefor releasing the shoe, such arcuate movement being in a direction tofacilitate the removal without damage to the shoe.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l0 dessole forward of the ballregion, so that when the lever I4 is swung upwardly as in Fig.1 thelength of the last along the sole is substantially decreased tofacilitate removal of the shoe.

To facilitate support of the heel portion of the last in lastingposition a supporting shoulder 18 may be provided on the fore part ofthe last by grooving the'arcuate surface thereabove, and a key IS on therear or heel portion is, adapted to slide in the groove and rest againstthe shoulder.

The lever I4 is bifurcated so as to engage the pivot pin l5 at oppositesides of the base of the last and to clear the last support, and has ahandle 20 for manipulating it in its pivoted movement. In its loweredposition the lever ll rests on the base and supports the heel portion I3of the last in assembled position, as shown in Fig. 2.

For heating the last duringthe vulcanizing operation, the forepart ofthelast has steam passages 2| formed therein and connected to inlet andexhaust openings 22, 23 in the base l0 and the heel. portion l3 of thelast is similarly formed with heating passages 24 connected to'inlet.and exhaust openings 25, 26 on the lever l4. These openings may beconnected to flexible conduits at the vulcanizing station to circulatesteam or other heating fluid therethrough. The steam passages 24 mayconveniently be formed by drilling intersecting bores 30, 3|, 32 in thebody of the last and closing the bores at the surface of the last as byplugs 33, 34, 35. y

'In using the last, the heel portion of the last is swung about thepivot l5 to the position shown in Fig. 1 and the shoe is slippedover-the last to the position shown in full lines. The heel portion isthen lowered by the operator by means of the handle 20, the shoe beingpressed downwardly at the heel. The pivotal movement of the heel portionacts to draw the shoe onto the last durignates a solid rigid base ofrectangular form, and

thenumeral I I designates the fore part of a last integral therewith,the sole of the last being away from the base. The rear or heel portionof the last i3 is mounted on a lever I 4 pivoted at l5 to the base ofthe last. The fore part and rear portion of the last are fitted to swingrelatively and arcuately about the pivot l5, their surfaces 56 and H,which may be in sliding contact, being concentric with the pivot andtheir are of con-.

tact being such as to intersect the shank region of the shoe forward ofthe heel portion and its axis of rotation being below and well to therear of the toe of the last, and preferably below the ball region of thelast. or below a position of the ing this operation. The sole may thenbe vulcanize'd by heat supplied to the last, and if desired, pressuremay be appliedalong the sole. 5

When. removing the shoe; the handle 20- is grasped by the operator andlifted. This movement loosens the last and withdraws it from the toe ofthe shoe without bending the sole thereof and the shoe may then beremoved by a movement of its heel portion upwardly and forwardly towardthe toe of the last. The last is especially effective in avoiding damageto shoes where the sole is freshly vulcanized and lacks strength due toits heated condition.

' Variations may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention as it is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A last for footwear, said last comprising a base, a last memberintegral therewith, and a second last member pivotally secured to saidbase and slideable with respect to the first-named last member, saidlast members providing a sole supporting surface separable at the shankregion of the last by the pivotal movement of said second last member.

2. A last for footwear, said last comprising a base, a last, membershaped to the fore part of the shoe and integral with said base andoverhanging the same, a heel member arcuately slideable with respect tosaid last member and providing a continuation of its shoe supportingsurface separable therefrom at the shank region of the last, saidheelmember having a portion pivotally mounted on said base for guidingsaid heel member in its arcuate movement.

3. A last for footwear, said last comprising a toe member and a heelmember slideable arouately with respect to each other along a path ofrevolution intersecting the shank portion of the last substantially atthe breast of the heel and having its axis transverse of the last, abase integral with the toe member, and an arm pivoted on said base atthe axis of said path and adapted to guide said heel member in anarcuate movement with respect to said toe member.

4. A last for footwear, said last comprising a toe member and a heelmember, said members having cooperating surfaces of revolution movablewith relation one to the other, said surfaces intersecting the lastsubstantially in the region of the breast of the heel and extendingrearwardly and away from the sole of the last so that the fore and aftdimension of the heel member at the sole surface is greater than at anyplane parallel thereto, a base for supporting said toe member and an armpivoted to said base at the axis of said surfaces and supporting saidheel member.

FRANK J. MACDONALD.

